Other Sports

More than a game: A view inside an esports championship

Focused group

Team EnVyUs, the eventual winners, concentrate on the action at hand during one of their early matches. (Ryan Mayle/MLG)

Noble effort

The team for Noble Pro Gaming was the Cinderella story of the playoffs, making it from the No. 7 seed all the way to the finals. (Ryan Mayle/MLG)

Fan favorite

Optic Gaming didn't fare too well in the final "COD: Ghosts" event, but NaDeSHoT, the team's best-known player and an esports icon, didn't let that stop him from having fun with the fans. (Ryan Mayle/MLG)

We got next

In esports, the people in the stands are almost always players as well ... which means they could potentially break through to the pro ranks if they get good enough. (Ryan Mayle/MLG)

Optic illusion

The other OpTic team -- OpTic Nation, also bowed out of the event early and Killa, in the yellow hat, left the team as a free agent a few days later. (Ryan Mayle/MLG)

Pre-gaming

Major League Gaming usually holds events in large convention centers or arenas, but hopes this new, smaller facility helps grow the sport in different ways. (Ryan Mayle/MLG)

Let's go to the booths

The players can see the crowd from the booth, but generally can't hear them. But when the excitement peaks, that can change .. as we learned during a controversial moment on Sunday. (Ryan Mayle/MLG)

Un-Fazed

The Faze Red team preps for a match on a bank of Xbox Ones set up behind the bleachers for teams to warm up on. (Ryan Mayle/MLG)

Most Wanted list

The Most Wanted team came up short of a spot in the finals on a controversial play at the end of final map in their match against Noble Pro Gaming. Minor outrage on Twitter followed. (Ryan Mayle/MLG)

Envy them?

Team EnVyUs, flanked by player-turned-analyst Maven on the left and team owner Mike Rufail on the right, celebrate their dominating title run. (Ryan Mayle/MLG)

Legend in the making?

Mike Rufail, the Team EnVyUs owner, shares a fist pound with Formal, who later tweeted: "The money and stuff is all just a bonus. My end goal is to be a FPS legend. That's basicallly it." (Ryan Mayle/MLG)

Analyze this

During breaks in the action, Maven (right) welcomes a rotating cast of characters to the analyst desk to break down the action. (Ryan Mayle/MLG)